Amore and Peace
by Fantasia-the-Crazy
Summary: For months, Demeter and Admetus have been meeting in secret. Unfortunately, it's only a matter of time before Munkustrap finds out. Written in response to an "unusual pairings" contest on another site. T just to be safe.


"Demmy! Psst! Hey, Demeter!"

A paw landed on her shoulder. Startled, Demeter whirled around and found herself staring into two dusky hazel eyes. "Oh! Admetus! Sorry, I didn't realize you were there."

The dusty brown-and-white tom blinked. "You told me to come."

Demeter grinned a foolish little grin. "That's right. I did, didn't I?" The grin disappeared as she continued. "It took me a while to get away from Munkustrap." She grimaced as she pronounced the name of the silver tabby.

Admetus gave her an understanding look. "Oh," he murmured.

Demeter just sighed and shook her head. She had never had very much luck with toms. She had once been kidnapped and raped by her kittenhood love, Macavity, and for some reason Munkustrap seemed to have latched himself to her, convinced that she loved him as much as he did her. Her romantic life had seemed hopeless until Admetus had come along. He was tall, strong, and devilishly handsome as far as Demeter was concerned. Unlike Munkustrap, who never stopped being so annoyingly over-protective and had no sense of humor whatsoever, he had a sweet and goofy air about him. He was sort of the "class clown" of the Jellicles, but he could be serious when the situation called for it.

There was a moment of silence before Admetus offered Demeter a paw. Taking it, she walked alongside him under the cloak of darkness until they reached a flat, grassy meadow not far from the junkyard that they called home. Upon their arrival, they both sat down, the moonlight touching their fur to silver.

"So, um . . . what's new with you?" Although they had been meeting in secret for months and months now, it was apparent that Admetus was still a little awkward in the love department. But Demeter understood that he'd never really had a relationship with a queen before, and she didn't mind.

"Nothing much, I suppose. Well, maybe except . . ." she trailed off, staring at some unseen point beyond Admetus's shoulder.

" . . . Except?" he prompted.

Demeter sighed. "It's just that Munkustrap keeps talking about, you know, having kittens with me. I mean, of course he's brought it up before, but lately he just won't let it go. And if I have kittens . . . well, use your imagination. It might be curtains for us."

Admetus shuddered. "It's probably, uh, just a temporary phase," he tried to console her.

"But the thing is, he knows I'll be coming into season soon. I'm running out of excuses not to talk about it with him."

He angled his eyes downward. "Oh. I see," he mumbled. "That is a problem, isn't it?"

"It's more than just a problem. I already have to pretend I love the idiot, but I just won't stand for having any stupid kittens with him." Demeter's eyes flashed like blue fire.

"I hope you don't mind my asking this, but . . . when are you coming into season?"

"Two weeks. Addie, what will I do?"

"Well . . . I'm sure we'll think of something." He tried to give her a comforting smile.

Recognizing the gesture, Demeter smiled back and opened her mouth to say something else, but just then she realized how light the sky was getting. "Whoops. Looks like I lost track of the time. Munkustrap's really going to be wondering where I am."

Admetus sighed. "Okay. 'Till next time, babe."

Their lips met for a brief moment, breaking apart as a voice reached their ears.

"Demeter? Where are you, Dem?"

Demeter groaned. "Ugh. It's him. Quick, he can't see us here together!" She scrambled behind a nearby tree just in time to see a silver tabby emerge, calling her name.

"Demmy?" He looked around. "Hey! Admetus!" he called as he spotted the tom.

"Hmm?" Admetus looked at him innocently.

"Have you seen Demeter?"

"Um, nope, I'm afraid I haven't, Munk." He gave Munkustrap his infamous dopey grin.

Watching from behind the tree, Demeter very quietly giggled to herself. Admetus made a habit of masquerading as an idiot in front of other cats. She thought it was cute when he did that. For a moment, she remembered how surprised she was when he had first started flirting with her. She hadn't thought that it was like him at all. But she had long since discovered that there was much more to him than his silly exterior.

"Well, let me know if you see her. She's been gone since last night."

"Really?" This time he executed a sort of goofy, intrigued, mildly confused look.

_He _must_ practice those expressions regularly_, Demeter thought. Finally deciding that she had let Munkustrap worry long enough, she stepped out from behind the tree, trying to appear as if she'd been walking for a while. "Munky?" she called out to him.

Both Munkustrap and Admetus turned at the same time to face her. "Demmy!" Munkustrap cried as he ran over to her. "Where were you? You were gone all night!"

"Yes, I know. Sorry." She didn't look at Admetus on purpose. "I'll explain later."

To her relief, he seemed to accept that. "All right. C'mon, let's get back to the junkyard."

"Okay."

This time, it was Munkustrap who kissed her: a quick gesture, right on the lips. She responded with a little giggle and a loving look. She had been Munkustrap's mate for so long that acting like she was in love with him was second nature to her.

"Come on, Admetus. We should get you back too," Munkustrap called.

"Alrighty then." He came trotting up to them nonchalantly, flashing Demeter a quick wink. She winked back.

"I'm just going to go check if there's anyone else here," Munkustrap told them, and disappeared.

Once she was sure he was out of earshot, Demeter took the back of her paw and drew it across her mouth in disgust. "Blech!" she spat. "Why does he always have to do that?"

"He must really love you," Admetus pointed out.

"I suppose so," she sighed.

"Well . . . why don't you tell him?"

For a long moment, Demeter just studied her footpaws. Finally, she quietly said, "Because it would crush him. Even I don't have the heart to do that."

"Okay, no one else." Munkustrap's voice snapped them both back to attention. He padded over and wrapped his arm around Demeter's waist. She smiled at him tenderly as they all proceeded back to the junkyard.

* * * * *

A couple of days later, Demeter lay stretched out comfortably in the middle of the Jellicle Junkyard when a paw prodded her side. She blinked open her eyes to see Admetus.

"Hi!" she greeted him cheerily.

"Hi," he echoed unenthusiastically.

"What's wrong, Addie?" Demeter asked, suddenly concerned by the tone of his voice.

With a paw, Admetus distractedly traced formless shapes in the dirt. "Well . . . you know how the, uh, Jellicle Ball is coming up?"

"Yeah . . ." Demeter said slowly.

Admetus gulped. "W-w-would you, uh . . ."

Demeter looked up at him patiently.

He drew in a deep breath, and then it came tumbling out in a rush. "Wouldyoubemydancingpartner?"

For a moment, Demeter said nothing. But then a huge grin slowly crept across her face. "Oh, Admetus, you know I –" she broke off as something occurred to her. The grin quickly vanished.

"Is something wrong?"

She hesitated a moment. Then, quietly: "Munkustrap."

Admetus looked down. His shoulders slumped. "Oh."

"It's just like him – always getting in the way of what I want to do," Demeter spat bitterly.

Suddenly, Admetus got a thoughtful look on his face. "Hey, maybe I could –"

"Wait, wait. Let me get this straight." Both cats turned to see Bombalurina appear out of nowhere.

"Hullo, Bomby," Admetus said, quickly putting on his stupid act.

She ignored him and instead looked directly at Demeter. "You don't want to go to the Ball with Munkustrap . . ."

"Bomba, how . . . have you –"

" . . . And instead you're in love with Admetus?"

Demeter turned the same shade of red as her younger sister's fur. "Shut up, Bombs," she growled.

Bombalurina snickered in amusement. "Gosh, I wonder how dear old Munky's gonna feel. Hey, you're coming into season soon, right?"

"I _said_, shut up." Could no cat keep a secret around here?

"Hmm, let's go see how he reacts."

The tall red queen had hardly taken one step, however, before Demeter was on her feet and blocking her path. She grabbed her by the collar and pulled her in close until their noses were touching. She spoke in a sinister undertone. "You listen to me, Bombalurina. If you breathe one word of this to anyone, and I mean _anyone_, I swear to the Everlasting Cat I'll tell Tugger all about the time you made out with Alonzo. Now get out of here." Releasing her collar, Demeter gave her startled sister a savage push, glaring after her until the disappeared from view.

"Stupid sister," she grumbled as she turned back to Admetus.

He looked genuinely dazed. "Um, I'm guessing now's probably not the best time to talk to you. Want to meet again tonight?"

Demeter nodded. "Usual place," she confirmed.

* * * * *

That evening, shortly before she was to meet with Admetus, Demeter lay in her den with Munkustrap, their tails twisted together. They were talking quietly about the possibility of having kittens together – Munkustrap's new favorite subject, it seemed. Normally, Demeter was able to think of some excuse to get her out of talking about it – maybe she was hungry or thirsty, or she needed to relieve herself, or she heard someone calling her name, or she was just plain too tired – but there seemed to be no eschewing the subject this time.

"What about during the Mating Dance?" Munkustrap was suggesting.

"No!" she immediately protested. "You know I never participate in that, considering . . . the consequences."

"Come on, Dem. What do you have against being a mother?"

"I _am_ a mother, remember?" she pointed out dryly. She was referring to her now nearly grown-up son, Mistoffelees.

"But that's because you were raped by a cat you hated," Munkustrap contered.

_And_ you're_ any different?_ she thought. Trying to shift the focus a bit, she tried being practical. "True. But kittens would just mean more mouths to feed and more cats to look after. Besides, the tiniest ones do nothing but squirm and squeal all day. They can't do _anything_ until their eyes open. What would be the point?"

"We would be bringing more lives into the world," Munkustrap argued. "The smallest feline is a masterpiece."

Demeter sighed in exasperation. Their discussion was going around in circles. It was getting late; Admetus would be waiting. She had to say something to get Munkustrap to quit bugging her. "Fine, you win," she sighed, saying the first thing that came into her mind. "Um, listen, I think I'll go take a walk." That was the excuse she used every time, and she was glad that so far, Munkustrap didn't think there was anything unusual about her taking several "walks" a week.

The tabby nodded, and Demeter was free. Little did she know, however, that agreeing with him was the worst mistake she could have made.

Demeter stalked across the junkyard, growing more excited with every pawstep. She was a full-grown queen, but seeing Admetus always made her feel young and crazy again. It made her feel reckless and dangerous, for she knew how easily Munkustrap could find out; but at the same time, it made her feel ever so alive, as if she and Admetus were teenagers, young and in love, sneaking out to meet in secret.

She caught up with the brown and white tom just outside of the junkyard. Feeling an exhilarated shudder ripple down her spine, a wild and crazy hot-blooded sensation jolted through her, filling her with energy as she bounded up to meet him. "Addie!"

He turned to face her. As his hazel eyes met her blue ones, she felt another jolt: not of exhilaration, but of something more . . .

"Hi, Demmy." The sound of his voice washed over her, nearly making her melt on the spot. A quiet, nagging voice in the back of her head told her that something that made her feel this euphoric couldn't possibly last for long, but she decided to ignore it, pushing it out of her brain.

They walked in silence until they reached their moonlit meadow, at which point Admetus asked, "So, how are things with Bomba?"

Demeter shrugged. "I don't think she's told anyone." Lowering her voice, she added, "At least, she'd better not have . . ."

Admetus's eyes twinkled in the dark. "Is that true, what you said about her and Alonzo?" Laughter played across his face.

"True as the Jellicle Moon," Demeter chuckled. "That's probably the best part of having a sister – you know exactly what to say to make her do anything you want." Just then, she became very serious. "But don't ever talk to her about that. Trust me. If you do, she'll be _really_ ticked off."

"Ah." He thought a moment. "And how are things with Munkustrap?"

This time, Demeter heaved a sigh. "I think he's really getting serious. All he ever talks about is having kittens. The guy's desperate."

Admetus put a paw around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. "I really don't know what to say," he confessed.

"It's okay," Demeter reassured him, trying to sound more convincing than she felt.

He studied her for a long moment. "I love you," he finally said.

Demeter wound her tail around his. "I love you too."

Admetus bent over and nuzzled her affectionately as she purred softly.

After a few more minutes, Demeter finally conceded, "I guess I ought to be going now."

With a sigh, Admetus muttered, "Okay" and kissed her on the cheek. As she got up and walked away, Demeter knew that he was watching her until she was all the way out of sight.

Upon her return, Demeter took a moment to smooth down her fur. Then she took a couple of deep breaths and proceeded to enter her den. There lay Munkustrap, patiently waiting for her.

"So, how was your walk?"

"Huh? Oh, it was fine."

He sniffed the air suspiciously. "That doesn't smell like you," he observed.

Demeter froze. _Uh oh._

More sniffing, and then: "Ah, I can't place the name. Whose scent is that?"

Her mind raced frantically. Should she tell him or not? "It's Admetus," she heard herself say, settling for a half-truth. "I was just coming back from my walk, and I wasn't looking where I was going and ran into him. That's all."

"Hm." Munkustrap looked at her doubtfully for a moment, but then seemed to shrug it off. "You should get some sleep."

She flopped down on her bed – an old pillow she had found in the junkyard one day – and closed her eyes. That night, her last thoughts were of Admetus before the drifted off to sleep.

* * * * *

The next couple of weeks continued in a similar manner. Demeter was certain that each time she saw him, she loved Admetus more and more. Likewise, she was also convinced that each time she saw Munkustrap, she liked him less and less. Everywhere, cats were getting ready for the Jellicle Ball.

But then one day . . . it happened.

Three days before the Ball, Demeter groggily opened her bleary eyes. Her paw felt extremely heavy as she lifted it to rub away the glaze. She peered up at the sky, squinting. The sun was nearly at its peak, and all around her, cats were up and about doing what they usually did: Tugger and Bombalurina were flirting, Mistoffelees was practicing his magic, Skimbleshanks was bidding farewell to Jennyanydots (promising he'd be back in time for the Ball), Gus was telling a story to some of the kittens, and Pouncival seemed to be fighting a losing battle with a stick. Demeter knew at once that she must be in heat; she was tired just watching them. With a faint groan, she let her head drop onto her paws and went back to sleep.

The rest of the day went on similarly. Demeter would wake up and fall asleep at varying intervals, feeling too bummed out to do anything. Come evening, however, her attitude made a drastic change. It all started with a rustling noise close to her. She angled her ears towards the sound and slowly opened her eyes. Munkustrap was standing there, looking down at her. She didn't need to tell him what was happening to her – he knew. She knew he knew.

For the first time that day, she sat up, all traces of her laziness miraculously vanished. Looking back later, Demeter would reflect that she still had no idea what was going through her mind that night.

She reached up and swatted at him playfully, as if he were a piece of string.

Smiling, he dropped onto all fours and batted at her teasingly.

Letting out a little, lighthearted growl, she sprang at him, and the two began to play around like a couple of kittens: excited kittens, but not in a happy, jumpy, anticipative way. And before she knew it, Demeter lay sprawled out on her back, watching Munkustrap intently, when, in a flash, she came to her senses. _Hey, wait a minute!_ yelled a voice inside her. _What in the Heaviside Layer are you doing? You don't love Munkustrap! You love Admetus!_ But with a sudden chill, she realized there was no going back. All she could do was stay put, feeling utterly defenseless as Munkustrap laid down on top of her.

* * * * *

Life was passing in a blur, and this year the Jellicle Ball had rather snuck up on everyone. Admetus wasn't excited at all, though. He knew that, for their own sake, he couldn't dance with Demeter. But he wasn't sure he could stand watching her dance with Munkustrap the entire time. He decided that it would be best for him to steer clear of them both. With a sigh, he reflected that he hadn't seen her in several days. He hoped she was okay. Since he had nothing better to do, Admetus spent the whole day sitting around, his every thought revolving around Demeter. Finally, the sun set and the Jellicle Moon peeked over the horizon. A hush fell over the junkyard as a slender white figure crept out from the shadows. The graceful Victoria danced her solo dance perfectly, as she did every year. As the dance drew to a close, Mistoffelees came running out of a drainage pipe. His tail had a white cap, and all four of his paws and three of his legs were white. His right knee had a black spot on it. This was Quaxo, Mistoffelees's alter ego. He gave a little throw of his hands and ran them down the length of Victoria's body, a very sappy grin on his face.

_What a perfect couple_, Admetus thought with a twinge of jealousy.

Then, Quaxo started to sing.

"Jellicle Cats come out to-night

Jellicle Cats come one come all

The Jellicle Moon is shining bright

Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball.

Jellicle Cats come out to-night

Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball!"

This was the Invitation to the Ball, the simple but elegant ritual that signaled the annual night of festivities to begin. As Quaxo sang, the Jellicles all crept out from their hiding spots. At the line, "The Jellicle Moon is shining bright", Admetus jumped out and looked at the sky with a goofy, yet idiotic look on his face, as always. Demeter was probably the only one who didn't think he was a complete and total dork. He cast a quick glance around. What was confusing was that Demeter was nowhere to be seen, but what was even more confusing was that she wasn't with Munkustrap.

* * * * *

Looking out at all the dancing cats, Demeter gave a sigh. As much as she longed to join them, she knew she couldn't, both for her sake and Admetus's. There was another reason, too, but no one else knew about it yet; and for this same reason she felt terribly sorry for Admetus. Staring at the dance and merriment, she reflected on her plan. She knew that there was always a slower-paced dance just before everyone paired off to begin the Mating Dance. During this slower dance, Demeter was going to make her only appearance. Without trying to call attention to herself, she was going to come out, go right up to Munkustrap, and tell him something she felt he very much needed to know. She would stay with him until the Mating Dance began, and then leave for the rest of the Ball. She only hoped Admetus wouldn't notice.

* * * * *

The first part of the Jellicle Ball eventually passed. Admetus looked up to see a few of the cats pairing off in preparation for the Mating Dance: this was the usual slower-paced dance to calm everyone down before the sacred courtship ritual, and Admetus's cue to leave. He began to slowly pad away, but something moving in the distance caught his attention. Joy pierced his heart like a thorn when he looked up and immediately recognized Demeter. It instantly faded, however, when he saw her walk right up to Munkustrap, looking more in love than he'd ever seen her, even around himself. Munkustrap turned, and when he saw her, they both threw their arms around each other. Admetus put on a confused look as he watched Demeter snuggle right up to the silver tabby, looking genuinely emotional. He was almost certain he saw her tearing up as she said something to Munkustrap, a tender smile on her face. He was too far away to hear what she was saying and he wasn't very good at reading lips, but Munkustrap's reaction made him nervous. The tabby got an enormous grin and said something in response. Demeter nodded excitedly, and he locked her in another embrace. What Admetus saw next made his blood run cold. They both looked at each other for a moment, and then Munkustrap swooped down and pressed his lips to hers. The most shocking part, however, wasn't the action itself; it was the look on Demeter's face. Admetus's mouth fell open when he noticed that she looked as if she had found the very road to heaven itself.

* * * * *

Although she had known Munkustrap would be overjoyed to hear her news, Demeter had made the mistake of not thinking about how he would react. Every time for the past three days when he hadn't been around, she had been practicing how she would break it to him, making sure to perfect her I-love-you-more-than-life-itself look so that he would be fooled effectively enough. And she had to admit that she was quite pleased with her performance at that. Sure, she had guessed that there would be a kiss involved, but she wasn't at all expecting something like this. Munkustrap wasn't exactly what you'd call a romantic tom, so this was drastically out of character for him. And her being his mate meant that, of course, she had kissed him before, so she knew that this time it felt . . . different. It could have been all in the moment, or the sheer length of it, or the tender love she could feel radiating off of him in waves, but something about it made Demeter find herself almost enjoying it, considering that, after all, it _was_ Munkustrap. She only had to half-fake the look of pure adoration spreading across her face.

* * * * *

It was the longest kiss Admetus had ever seen. But he was unable to look away; his eyes were glued to the sight. Almost every cat had paired off by now and Old Deuteronomy made his entrance. Every eye followed him as he ambled towards the back of the junkyard, where Demeter and Munkustrap were, and, inevitably, some attention was drawn to them. And once one cat noticed them, they all noticed. A resounding "Aaawww!" resonated through the whole area. As Old Deuteronomy sat down on a tire, he looked on at them calmly. The silver tabby was his son; Admetus could only guess what was going through his mind. Hidden in the shadows, he flexed his claws in and out, thinking about how much he'd like to sink them into Munkustrap's flesh. He cast a quick look around and happened to catch the eye of Bombalurina, who seemed to have been staring at him the whole time. He drew his lips back from his teeth in the beginnings of a snarl as she walked right up to him.

"Bet you weren't expecting _that_, hmm?" She let out a little chuckle.

"How 'bout you do everyone a favor and shut up?" he shot back, too enraged to remember to act stupid.

She ignored him, instead offering a paw. "Since Demmy seems to be taken already, shall we?"

"Not on your life," he growled. "Go soak your head."

Finally, she retreated, still chuckling to herself.

* * * * *

After what seemed like forever, the kiss ended. Munkustrap looked at Demeter emotionally, and she looked back. He looked about to cry. "Oh, Demmy," he whispered. "I love you so much."

Demeter smiled at him tenderly. "Love you too, Munky." She glanced over his shoulder, and almost gasped when she saw Admetus looking right back at her, murder blazing in his eyes. _Oh, Everlasting Cat,_ she thought. _What have I done?_ She quickly looked back at Munkustrap. "And you know I'd absolutely love to stick around with you, but I think I should go now. See you after the Ball, hon."

Reluctantly, he released her. "Don't hurt yourself."

"You know I won't." She turned and began walking away, her eyes fixated on him until he turned his back to her. When this happened, her head whipped around to face Admetus, and a sense of urgency entered her eyes. She gave a couple jerks of her head, signaling him to follow her, before she exited.

Once she was sure no one could see her, Demeter took off at a full run, coming to a halt near the outskirts of the junkyard. Admetus was already there. She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it.

"How long?" he demanded.

Demeter was surprised by his harsh approach. "How long what?"

"How long have you been lying to me?"

"_What?_"

"You know what I'm talking about."

She hesitated. "Addie, there's a perfectly good reason for –"

"Uh huh. Sure there is," he cut her off. Then he paused. When he spoke again, his voice had gotten very quiet. "It was never really me, was it? The whole time, it was always . . . _him_, wasn't it?"

"No! Addie, if you'd just let me expl–"

"No." The harsh edge had returned to his voice. "You don't need to tell me. I already know. It's _over_, Demeter." He whirled around and stalked away.

"No!" she called after him, but he didn't stop. "Admetus! I'm . . . I'm . . . I . . ." But she knew it was to no avail. Admetus wasn't coming back. She sighed. "I love you."

* * * * *

The next day, Admetus was obviously trying to avoid her. Whether this was because Munkustrap never left her side or because of the previous night, she didn't know, but she had a shrewd guess. All the same, she still needed to talk to him. But_ how_?

As she wandered around the junkyard, for the first time that day not guided by Munkustrap, Demeter heard some suspicious-sounding whispering. Looking up, she saw Bombalurina and Tugger very quietly talking back and forth, casting lots of strange glances in her direction. Demeter felt the fur along her spine begin to bristle, but then forced it to lie flat, thinking to herself, _Easy, Demeter, take it easy. You mustn't assume too much._ But then Bomba whispered one more thing, and Tugger burst into uproarious laughter. "I don't believe it!" he exclaimed in-between bouts. He looked straight at Demeter, then back at her sister. "Really?"

Bombalurina, smiling slyly, also glanced at her before addressing him. "Yep. Ain't that something?"

"Oh yeah," Tugger said, still cracking up. "Ah, that's a good one, Bombs!" Laughing hysterically, he walked away.

Demeter glared at her sister. "You told!" she accused.

Bomba shrugged. "Yeah."

"Can you not keep a secret _at all_?" she screeched. "Do you have any idea how much that meant to me?"

"Well sor-_ry_," she said sarcastically. "It was just him."

" '_Just_'_? _Are we talking about the same Tugger here?"

"Hey, it could've been worse."

She stood for a moment, contemplating what to do. "Well," she finally said, "then I guess it's time I held up my end of the deal." Pivoting on her heels, she went off in persuit of Tugger.

"Oh no you don't!" A sudden weight landed on her back, knocking her to the ground.

Demeter wriggled under it. "Bomby, you get off me this instant! You'll wake the kittens!" Her words had a nasty double meaning. She clawed at her sister until she let go.

"Please don't tell my Tuggy," she pleaded.

"Why shouldn't I?" Demeter asked coldly. "You gave away _my_ biggest secret; now I'm just returning the favor." She got up and started walking again.

Bombalurina grabbed her tail. "_Please_ don't tell! _Please!_" She was on her knees, begging.

Demeter whirled around. "Ow! Let go!"

She immediately obeyed.

Demeter looked into the red queen's despairing brown eyes. With a sigh, she realized that she was completely at her mercy. "Okay, I won't tell. But only if you apologize _right now_."

"I'm sorry!" she blurted. "I'm sorry I told your secret and pounced on you and pulled your tail!"

"All right. Now promise me you'll make Tugger swear not to tell _anyone_ else."

Bombalurina nodded vigorously. "I promise!"

"Okay. I guess you can go now."

Instantly, Bomba jumped up and dashed off to find Tugger.

Demeter let out a breath. "There's _one_ problem taken care of," she muttered to herself. "Now to find Admetus."

Almost immediately, she spotted a familiar brown and white tail disappear behind a junk pile. She quickly gave chase. Bolting behind the pile, she saw him take off to the left. Demeter followed. Then he went to the right, then through the legs of a chair, then over the trunk of a car, across a tire, behind another junk pile, and finally skidded to a stop just outside the junkyard. He whirled around, hazel eyes blazing. "All right, what do you want?"

"Just. Want. To. Talk. To. You," Demeter gasped, her words coming in-between wheezes.

"Well, then talk." He didn't sound the least bit tired.

For a moment, Demeter continued to pant. Then, she swallowed, inhaled deeply, and let it out. Then she looked directly into Admetus's eyes. "First of all, I just want to say that I love you. I don't know how you could ever think anything different."

At that, Admetus seemed to cheer up a little. The very beginnings of a tiny smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he didn't say anything.

"And second, well . . . the way I acted with Munkustrap last night . . ."

The tiny smile disappeared.

"Believe me, I didn't think anyone would notice – especially you. I had no idea that he would react, well, the way he did. That was just so –"

"Just get to the point," Admetus interrupted, obviously not wanting to talk about what he had seen.

"Sorry. Anyway, the reason I told him about this before you is that, in all fairness, he deserved to know more than you did. But you were next on the list," she tried to assure him.

"Well, what is it?" He was beginning to sound impatient.

Demeter sighed and studied the ground for a moment. There was no going back now. "I'm pregnant."

"You're WHAT?!" Admetus roared.

"Ssh! Someone will hear you! But yes, it's true. I came into season a few days before the Ball, and . . . I don't really know what I was thinking. And, well . . . now I'm carrying Munkustrap's kittens."

Admetus's head dropped. He looked at the ground, just as Demeter had. "Oh," he said quietly. Then he looked at her skeptically. "You're not kidding, are you?"

"Why would I lie to you about a think like that?"

He sighed. "So . . . that _was_ all an act, right?"

"During the Ball? Yeah. You can't walk up to a guy and tell him he's going to be a father without getting all emotional about it." She decided not to tell him how she had felt when Munkustrap had kissed her.

"Does this mean that it's over? We can't see each other anymore?" A tear managed to escape from his eye.

Demeter gently wiped it off. "Love will always find away," she promised in a near whisper.

They continued to look at each other for a while before Demeter said, "I should get back to Munkustrap now." Admetus gave a nod, and she began to head back. Halfway there, however, she turned around. "But we _will_ meet again. There is absolutely nothing that can get in the way of that."

* * * * *

True to her word, Demeter and Admetus kept meeting in secret for the next several months. She had been pregnant before (with Mistoffelees), but this time it was different for some reason. Before, it had been nothing more than a burden on her mind (and her belly) that she paid little attention to, just waiting patiently for it to end. But this time, she found it hard to think of anything else. Perhaps because she actually had someone to love this time, and knew that he loved her back, no matter what. Oddly, she and Admetus seemed to have grown closer because of the kittens inside her, despite the fact that, in theory, it should have made them drift farther apart. Each day, it pained Demeter to think that the kittens were not Admetus's; maybe she couldn't stop thinking about them because she kept wishing with all her heart that they could be.

* * * * *

One day, Munkustrap lay alone in his den, entertaining himself by scratching a claw in the dirt, when he heard a voice. "Hey, Munk?"

He recognized it as the voice of his younger brother. "What is it, Tugger?" he called without looking up

"Do you know where Demeter is?"

This time, Munkustrap's head snapped up. Tugger was looking at him with a rather odd expression on his face. "Yes, she's out on a walk. I told her not to because she'll be having her kittens soon, but she insisted." His eyes narrowed to suspicious slits. "Why do you ask?"

Instead of answering, Tugger posed another question. "Are you _sure_ that's where she is?"

Munkustrap opened his mouth, but Tugger continued before he could say anything.

"'Cause I heard from . . . an unnamed source . . . that you ain't the only tom she's been running around with."

"What? That's impossible."

"Is it?" Tugger blinked. "Haven't you noticed that she never invites _you_ on these walks? I'd go check, just to make sure."

"All right, all right! I'll go check, just so you'll quit annoying me." With that, Munkustrap brushed past a smirking Tugger and exited his den in pursuit of his mate.

Meanwhile . . .

Demeter, holding paws with Admetus, walked slowly down the ever-familiar path that led to their meadow. She knew that it was foolish to go with him so close to the time when she was due to give birth (and in broad daylight), but she figured that, after having the kittens, she would have to spend a tremendous amount of time caring for them and, therefore, wouldn't be able to meet with Admetus as much. She wanted to savor what precious time with him she had left. Her belly was quite large by now, and often times she was able to feel the kittens wriggling inside her. She remembered the feeling that had washed over her when Mistoffelees was born, and couldn't help but feel a tiny bit excited in spite of herself.

"Well, here we are," she announced gently as they stepped onto the soft, lush grass.

Admetus nodded.

"I always think it's so beautiful here," Demeter continued. "I always wish we could –"

Her sentence abruptly ended in a gasp as she collapsed onto the ground; a sharp pain clawed at her inwardly. _Oh no_, she thought. _Not now!_

"Demeter?" came Admetus's worried voice. "Demmy, are you okay?"

"My-it's-my labor is beginning!" she explained, her voice taught as another pain gripped her.

Now it was Admetus's turn to gasp. "Labor? You mean as in . . . having kittens?" His voice shot up an octave.

"Yes, having kittens!" she snapped. No sooner had the words left her mouth than a shudder passed through here, and the first kitten emerged.

"Oh my" was all Admetus could say.

Demeter exhaled sharply, but then drew it back in. Sweat was pouring off her, but, as another pang erupted inside her, she had a good feeling about this; it was already going more quickly than she had expected, most likely because she had given birth once before. "One more, I think," she managed to say, albeit with some difficulty. "Here . . . it . . . comes!" And another kitten landed on the grass.

She let out a long breath, feeling weak. One at a time, she took them in her teeth by the tiny scruffs of their necks and brought them in front of her to get a good look at them. The first one, a tom and the larger of the two, looked exactly like Munkustrap, tiny black stripes running down its pale silver body. The smaller one, a female, was gray with tiny white paws. Their eyes, of course, were still tightly closed, but Demeter didn't even have to guess what color the second one's would be: one look at its face, and she knew. She looked at the kitten, then up at Admetus, then back at the kitten. Slowly sitting up, she cradled it in her arms. "Impossible," she murmured in awe.

"What?" Admetus crept closer.

Demeter turned and looked at him, showing him the kitten. "That face . . . she looks just like you." She hugged it to her chest. "It's a miracle."

Admetus was astounded, clearly at a loss for words. Finally, he stuttered, "C-congratulations, Demmy. They're beautiful."

Putting the kitten down, she gazed at him lovingly. "Thank you," she breathed.

"Just like you." He met her gaze with a little grin.

She returned the look, and they both started to lean in towards each other.

"Demeter? What in the name of unashamed felinity is going on here?"

With a startled gasp, they both looked up. Munkustrap was standing right there, looking completely dumbfounded.

Demeter went completely pale. "How did you find out?" she demanded in a husky whisper.

"Tugger told me," came the reply.

Demeter groaned. "Of course he did," she muttered grudgingly.

Suddenly, Munkustrap's attention was averted to the two tiny bundles of fur in the curve of her belly. His eyes stretched wide. "Are . . . are those –"

"Yes," Demeter sighed. "Yes they are. Munky, meet your son and daughter."

For a single moment, he looked absolutely thrilled, but then he looked back up at the lovers. "Well well well. Demeter and Admetus. Who would have guessed?"

They looked at each other, horrified. Admetus knew it was useless to play stupid now.

"I knew there was something peculiar going on, but I must admit I never expected _this_. Looks like Tugger was right after all." He sighed. "And all this time . . . I-I thought you loved . . . _me_. But now I can see where your preferences lie." His eyes began to tear up slightly.

Finally, Demeter gathered up enough courage to speak. "All right, so, you found out the truth about . . . us. What are you going to do?" Only at that moment did she realize that his claws were out. She explosively leapt up and clung onto Admetus as tightly as she could. "No, Munky, please don't!"

He sighed and retracted his claws as he realized what she meant. "Now, Demmy, you know I'd never do that."

She relaxed slightly, but remained attached to Admetus.

There was a moment of silence. Munkustrap was staring at the grass. "A dirty little double-crosser, that's what you are."

"Excuse me?" Was Demeter hearing him right?

His head snapped up. "You heard me!" He had a really strange look in his eyes that she had never seen there before. "You're a deceitful little liar!" His eyes were drops of brown liquid fire. "To think that all that time, I trusted you! Loved you! I even mat–"

"DON'T SAY IT!" Demeter screeched furiously, finally letting go of Admetus. "I think I can safely say that that was the _worst_ mistake I've ever made! Yeah, it's true. My love never _did_ belong to you in the first place. If you want to know where my heart really lies, it's RIGHT OVER THERE!" She pointed directly at Admetus, who looked both flattered and startled at the same time.

"Well, that sure sucks for you," Munkustrap said callously, "because you're never going to see him again."

Demeter's jaw dropped. She had never heard the silver tabby use that word before. And was he _threatening_ to separate them? She allowed a squeaky "What?" to come out.

"Maybe you managed to get past me for I-don't-even-want-to-guess-how-long. But now the truth is out, and, as the son of our leader and second in command, I hold authority over you. My word is the law. In this tribe, I am the Everlasting Cat to you!" He cackled demonically, and for an instant, he bore a startling resemblance to Macavity. If she hadn't known better, Demeter would have assumed that they were kin.

"Therefore, I have the right to stop you from meeting like this. And if you disobey, I also reserve the right to banish you from the tribe." He folded his arms across his chest contemptuously. "So, any last words before I pronounce sentence?"

Demeter and Admetus exchanged hopeless glances.

"All right then." He stalked up to them, and they both shrank back as he rose to his full height. His voice rang out strong and clear as he announced: "By the power vested in me, I hereby forbid you, Admetus and Demeter, from meeting in secret, as you have previously been doing. So help you Everlasting Cat should you go against my word."

Demeter threw her arms around Admetus and buried her face in his chest. He reached out and began to gently stroke her fur.

When she looked up at Munkustrap, her eyes sparkled and her face was streaked with tears. "Please, Munky, could we have a few last moments together?"

Seeing the look on her face, a tiny trace of the normal, compassionate, understanding Munkustrap returned. "Sure, I suppose," he granted quietly. As the two padded away, he busied himself by stooping down and examining his kittens.

They arrived in a small area with scattered trees just on the edge of the meadow and stationed themselves behind one where they were out of Munkustrap's range of vision.

"I'm sorry I let it come to this," Demeter apologized.

"Don't be," Admetus told her. "It wasn't your fault."

"But now we'll never be able to see each other again!"

"Ssh, ssh." He was hushing her like a kitten. "Love will always find a way."

At the sound of her own words, fresh tears welled up in Demeter's eyes. She stared up at him, searching his eyes. "Not this time." Her voice was scarcely more than a whisper and a drop glistened on her cheek. In that moment, she felt a stronger rush of pure love than she had ever felt before. Knowing full well that this was the end, they did nothing but stare at each other for a moment that could have lasted forever. Then, Demeter leaned in very close and placed her lips right on his.

Maybe it was the timing. Maybe it was the emotion. Maybe it was purely the bittersweet nature of the moment. Or maybe it was some mysterious other force. But there was something that made this kiss the best one they had ever shared. Demeter wrapped her arms around Admetus, holding him tight. She soon felt his strong, protective arms clutching her, too, and for a single, fleeting moment, she felt perfectly safe: tranquil and at peace. And so they held each other, locked in a tender embrace that lasted easily as long as the display with Munkustrap during the Jellicle Ball, if not longer. Finally, slowly, they broke apart, and Demeter noticed that he had been crying, too.

"They may have stopped us from meeting," she admitted, "but I'll still always love you with all my heart, and there's absolutely nothing they can do to stop that."

Admetus cracked a sad smile. "I'll always love you, too. And as long as there are stars in the sky and leaves on the trees, I will never forget you."

It was pure poetry.

He sniffled. "Take care of yourself, baby doll."

"I'll try," she vowed. She let out a long, remorseful sigh. When she spoke again, her voice was breaking. "You have no idea how much pain I'm in. if I could make things any different for us, believe me, I would."

Then he said the words that comforted her more than anything else would have: those two little words that meant far more to Demeter than any simple "I love you" ever could.

"I understand."

The two bade each other their final farewells before padding sullenly back to Munkustrap. After one long, wordless, final look between them, Demeter scooped up the newborn kittens, holding the queen-kit tightly to her chest, and, Munkustrap at her side, turned her back on Admetus – her one and only true love – forever.


End file.
